Iridium's GMDSS Service Goes Live
Satellite communications provider Iridium Communications Inc. announced Tuesday that its Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) service officially went live on Friday, December 11, ending a monopoly held by rival Inmarsat and enhancing the integrity of global safety communications for seafarers globally.GMDSS is an internationally regulated service, governed by the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) convention. It provides life-saving assistance to seafarers in distress and has required equipment on board more than 60…
Ocean Signal Introduces Compact Float-Free EPIRB
Ocean Signal has developed a compact Category 1 (auto-deploy) Emergency Position Indicating Rescue Beacon – the SafeSea EPIRB1 Pro.The new EPIRB1 Pro features a 30 percent reduction in size compared to other EPIRBs, a 10-year battery life and a retail price that makes it one of the most affordable EPIRBs on the market.Providing an essential link to emergency services for both recreational and commercial vessels, the Ocean Signal beacon complies with IMO regulations that require…
Three Dead, Dozens Missing After Indonesian Ferry Sinks
Indonesian rescue teams continue their search todau (Monday) for 78 people still missing at sea, after their ferry ran into bad conditions, took on water and sank near Sulawesi island on Saturday night, officials said. Rescuers have pulled put 39 survivors and three dead from a passenger boat that sank in central Indonesia after being buffeted by high waves, and were battling bad weather Sunday to reach others still missing. Hopes are fading for 78 people still missing from a ferry that sank off Indonesia's eastern island of Sulawesi, officials say. The New Marina (Marina Baru), a fiberglass boat, was carrying 109 passengers and 10 crew members as crossed the bay on Saturday afternoon, from Kolaka, in Southeast Sulawesi province to Siwa, in South Sulawesi province.
Professionals Invited for USCG Workgroup
Search and rescue professionals and media are invited to the 2015 Search and Rescue Workgroup hosted by Coast Guard Sector Field Office Galveston, Texas, on Wednesday. WHEN: Wednesday, April 8, 2015, 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.; search and rescue training is scheduled to commence at 12:45 p.m. RSVP: Media interested in attending must contact the Public Affairs Detachment by Tuesday, April 7, no later than 12 p.m. Public Affairs Detachment Houston is available at (281)-464-4810 or (832)-293-1293 or [email protected]. The 2nd annual SAR Workgroup is geared toward search and rescue agency coordination and partnership, with emphasis on SAR policy, capabilities and response.
Crowley Tugboat Makes Arduous Bering Sea Rescue
The crew of the Crowley Maritime Corp. tug 'Siku', operating in Western Alaska, recently rescued six men adrift in the Bering Sea. Shortly before the incident, the men’s 21-foot, aluminum skiff ran out of gas in Hooper Bay and was being quickly blown out of the bay and into increasingly heavy seas. Responding to a request by the Coast Guard, the crew of Siku, which was in the area holding for weather, located the skiff, which was drifting about a mile offshore of Hooper Bay despite having dropped its anchor.
JW Fishers Win More UMD Contracts
Police departments & sheriff’s offices around the country are adding underwater metal detectors (UMD) to their crime-fighting armory. An essential tool for locating evidence disposed of in a waterway, metal detectors routinely assist police divers in finding weapons, shell casings, stolen objects, and explosive devices, inform JW Fishers. One group having great success with the underwater metal detector is Houston County Rescue in Webb, Alabama. Team members are highly trained public safety divers that provide assistance to law enforcement…
APACHE ENERGY TO UTILISE MOBILARM VHF DSC LOCATOR BEACONS TO SAFEGUARD OFFSHORE PLATFORM WORKERS
Perth, Western Australia: Mobilarm's VHF DSC locator beacon technology has been chosen by Apache Energy to provide man overboard alerting and location for workers carrying out scheduled maintenance aboard the Reindeer Wellhead Platform, Northwest Australia. The 35 VHF DSC locator beacons ordered by Apache will be carried by maintenance crew, providing improved probability of rescue and survival should an emergency evacuation or man overboard (MOB) occur. "Although already being used to safeguard workers in a number of sectors including…
